Proud owner of a 1980-vintage 12-gauge Ithaca M-37 Deerslayer slug-gun. Have always used Foster-style slugs and had excellent accuracy from the gun. I was in my local gunshop and gave some thought to purchasing some 1-1/8 ounce Brenneke rifled slugs since I'd heard they were pretty accurate.

Trouble is, the clerk at the shop told me that slug-bored Ithaca's have an inside-bore diameter that's smaller than other gun manufacturer's slug bores. He suggested that the antimony-hardened Brenneke slugs would not swage down as easily as the softer Fosters when I fire them, and would accelerate the wear on my Ithaca's bore. He told me that I should stick with Foster-style slugs only.

I recall when I calipered the inside of my Ithaca's bore at the muzzle several years ago that it miked .705-inch, so the clerk's suggestion made me wonder. Then I got to thinking. Brenneke slugs have been around since what...1895? And Ithaca released the Model 37 shotgun in 1937...so if there were some sort of incompatibility between the two, I'd have thought it would have been dealt with long ago.

If anyone's had any experience with accelerated barrel wear from shooting 12-gauge Brenneke's in a Model 37 Deerslayer, I'd like to hear about it...cause it sure doesn't make sense to me.

The only thing that I would be conserned about would be if your 37 had a full choke. Then there may ba a possibility of the sslugs over a period of time with many many shots possibly splitting the barrel. The chances of this to me would be very slight. I love Breneke Slugs and they are the only ones that provide the accuracy that is acceptable to me in a Foster/Standard kind of slug used in a smooth barrel.

I agree with Flint54 and would not be concerned about shooting Breneke slugs out of that Ithaca. I would give them a try. All the best...
Gil

Welcome aboard snowman. I shot brenneke slugs for years they are top notch i wouldn't be to concerned with them in the ithica. You said ya had a deer slayer barrel most of the one's i have seen are fully rifled barrels is your's a smooth bore or rifled ??
Joe

It's a smoothbore, Joe. I've been a deputy sheriff for almost 34 years and I bought my Ithaca around 1982 to replace the cheap-o Brand-X shotguns the department issued back then. I also figured the Ithaca could do double duty as a deer gun and it's done handsomely. I've just never shot anything but Fosters through it.

I"ve miked Federal and Winchester brand Foster-style slugs and they ran .735 to .740-inch. I'd be curious to know the size of a Brenneke. I'll have to try that sometime.

I had mod 87 deerslayer with a fully rifled barrel very nice shotgun and very accurate. The thing kicked the crap out of ya with 3 inchers in it though, so i shot mostly 2 3/4 sabots but Ithica makes a top notch shotgun i think you will like the brenneke slugs i have shot them in other shotguns and they have performed very well good luck, let us no how ya make out.
Joe